The White House announced on Wednesday that President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19. He will not attend his scheduled public engagements in Las Vegas, instead opting to self-isolate in Delaware as he is only experiencing mild symptoms.
Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, reported that this afternoon the President displayed symptoms of upper respiratory problems like a runny nose and unproductive cough. Despite feeling fine during his initial event earlier in the day, he experienced a general sense of discomfort. Following an evaluation that showed no improvement to his condition, point-of-care testing confirmed positive results for COVID-19.
Biden has received a booster shot and vaccination, reports the White House. He is currently experiencing minor symptoms but has already taken his first dosage of Paxlovid medication.
Organizers cancelled Biden’s scheduled speech at the civil rights nonprofit event, UnidosUS conference, on Wednesday.
The Republicans have been claiming that the 81-year-old man is unsuitable for presidency due to his physical and mental weaknesses. Nonetheless, even their own party members saw evidence of this supposed debility during a Trump-moderated debate on CNN last month. At the NAACP convention on Tuesday, Biden once again delivered a speech where he struggled with coherence despite using teleprompters as an aid.
At the beginning of this week, Biden was interviewed by BET News where he asked if there is anything that would make him reconsider his bid for presidency.
“If doctors diagnosed me with a medical condition and informed me of any issues,” Biden responded.
The US president with the longest tenure to date has tested positive for Covid-19 three times. Biden’s first diagnosis was on July 21, 2022 and he recently received a ‘rebound’ case result within two weeks after that. The White House issued reports stating that although Biden will return to Delaware for self-quarantine, his duties during this period will be carried out diligently as usual.
